Before I started working, I never really realized what a tip means to someone. Some jobs are totally dependent on tips for their employee's income. Other jobs are not necessarily required to tip, but even something as small as a dollar or two makes a difference. A tip shows your appreciation for being well taken care of. Here are seven services you should probably start tipping and why:
1. Barbers / Stylists
Think about tipping the person who cuts, dyes, or styles your hair. Sure, they get paid by the hour, just like most jobs do, but consider the precision it takes to do what they do. After you've given them specific orders on how to style your hair, nails, makeup, etc, they are under the pressure to do it just the way you want it. It is all about comforting and pleasing you the best way they can. Depending on the cost, it is courteous to tip about 20 percent. People commonly tip anywhere from $2-$5, taking account to how they were treated and how happy they are with how it turned out.
2. Cleaning Services
Not many people grow up saying they want to be a garbage truck driver or a maid as their choice of careers. However, someone needs to do it. It is not very common to go out and tip your local garbage removal services in the morning, but think about how much it would be appreciated? They have to be around not only your garbage, but the waste of many other neighborhoods around you. A maid or housekeeper has a similar situation. They do your dirty work for you. For example, they might do your laundry, change your sheets, mop the floors, or do the dishes. This is all work that you could do yourself, but you've hired someone to do it for you. Along with paying these people, it would be appreciated to tip about $5, also depending on how well they did their job.
3. Food Services
Many people are unaware how little waiters and waitresses are paid. Their paycheck is often small because of the tips that they should be receiving. Most people will give $3-$5 to their servers at the end of their meal, but being in the restaurant business myself has enlightened me on how stingy some people are. It's common to hear things like "(s)he wasn't at my table very often" or "(s)he did not seem very friendly." It is upsetting. Dine-in restaurants often get busy quickly. Unless business is slow, it is very hard for a server to attend to your every need.
I, myself, work as a hostess at my family's owned restaurant and bar. Along with seating people at tables, I take orders for carry-outs. It is not necessarily required to tip the person who does your take-out, but it is greatly appreciated. With my job, I take care of every customer to my best ability, giving them anything and everything they could possibly need and more. Recieving a tip is like a "thank you" that we need.
Tipping in the food service is also dependent on the cost. Most often, people tip about 15% of their bill. If they ordered something larger and more challenging for the cooks/servers, it is nice to tip more.
4. Cable / Electrician
These people have gone to school to learn about the ways they can fix your appliances and technology so that it doesn't cause any damage in the future. They commonly spend quite a while at a place to make sure their job is done right. Although a tip is also not requred for this job, a $5-$10 tip is usually okay. Something even as small as a drink is also appreciated.
5. Transportation Driver
It is almost expected that you tip your taxi, limo, or uber driver. Just like the cleaning service, they have provided you with something you could have done on your own. They take account of your time and drive as smoothly as they can to get you to the place where you need to go. Depending on if they work for a company, some drivers do not get paid and only get money off of tips. 10-15% is appropriate for a driver's tip. Extra money is granted to drivers who help you with your bags or open the doors for you.
Next time you are in need of a service, consider tipping the person who does it for you. It doesn't ever have to be something of a large quantity. More often than not, you are not required to tip any service if you have reason to, but know that it is considered rude and inconsiderate. You should be thankful for the work that people put in for your needs.
